American food brands-from burgers and fried chicken to chocolates and chips-have made an excellent entry into the Indian market. They have tailored their products suiting the local taste, adapted to vegetarian options, made them spicy, and priced them right. But because of recent hostilities between India and the U.S., some people are now claiming boycotts of these products. Here are some popular U.S. food brands in India and what is making some shoppers rethink those choices. McDonalds to Coca-Cola: Why U.S. Food Brands Are Facing Boycotts in India.

U.S. Food Brands Are Facing Boycotts in India:

U.S. fast-food chains have become household names thanks to quick service and menus tailored for Indian palates.

McDonald’s: Famous for the McAloo Tikki and Maharaja Mac, plus Chicken McNuggets, with over 300 outlets.

KFC: Serves fried chicken, Zinger burgers, and Indian-inspired items like Chicken Biryani.

Pizza Hut: Known for offering Tandoori Paneer Pizza along with pastas and garlic bread.

Domino’s Pizza: The caption reads Paneer Makhani Pizza, having more than 1,500 stores.

Burger King: Paneer Whopper and Chicken Tikka Burger on the menu.

Subway: Build-your-own sub-style customizable subs with fillings like Aloo Patty and Chicken Tikka.

Serves Satisfying Every Sip

These two giants have withstood along with two major U.S. beverage titans.

PepsiCo: Pepsi, 7UP, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, Tropicana, and Quaker Oats.

Coca-Cola: Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Maaza, Minute Maid, and local brand Thums Up.

Snacks and Sweets: Treats for All Occasions

Mondelez: Cadbury Dairy Milk, Oreo, Bournvita, Perk.

Mars: Snickers, Mars bars, M&M’s.

PepsiCo: Lay’s, Kurkure, Doritos flavored with India. Other specialized brands like Huy Fong Sriracha, Tabasco, and Smucker’s also have niche markets.

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The Reason Behind These Boycotts

In August of 2025, some Indians calling out for an online boycott against all products made in the United States came after the country increased tariffs on imports of Indian goods. Among the favorites: McDonald’s, KFC, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Cadbury. Proponents argue that encouraging purchase from Indian brands like Amul or Patanjali sustains the local economy. This campaign is not official, so many remain enjoying these products.

American food brands are very much threatened by Indian competitors like Haldiram’s, Parle, and Amul. Although boycotts will affect sales, the Indian taste for fast, strong-flavored food enables U.S. brands to survive if they adapt to the changing moods.

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